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Support for the Microsoft Authenticator app on the Apple Watch has now ended, but there’s very little information on why.
In a somewhat ironic way, on Apple’s App Store (opens in new tab)reads the description for the latest update to one of the best authenticator apps: “This update removes Microsoft Authenticator from Apple Watch.”
However, the warning also mentions that you can still mirror alerts from your iPhone to Apple Watch in the notification settings. But the fact remains that the removal of the dedicated app has certainly made it less convenient for users of the wearable technology to authenticate their logins now.
Another app falls
Microsoft Authenticator is one of the most popular authentication apps out there and is used as a form of Multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts and devices .
The Apple Watch app was first introduced in 2018 and allowed you to verify your logins without having to unlock your iPhone.
Microsoft had initially announced the end of the app’s lifecycle (opens in new tab) in a clandestine way in December 2022, burying the news in an FAQ (opens in new tab) section on the company’s support website, which rather ambiguously states that “there will be no companion app for watchOS because it is not compatible with Authenticator security features.”
What exactly these security features are and why they are not compatible with watchOS has not been explained by the IT giant.
However, this is far from the first major app to be discontinued on Apple’s smartwatch. Instagram, Slack, Uber, and Pokémon Go all ended support for their respective apps on the platform.
It seems that in many cases people just didn’t use the apps, with notifications and alerts from their iPhone counterparts being enough for many.
- An authenticator is a great addition to your security posture, but it can’t replace the best password manager
